Obadiah-The Kingdom Shall Be the LORDs
Partial outline- FULL PDF HERE
This TWO WEEK STUDY of Obadiah was taught July 3 and 10, 2016.
INTRODUCTION—Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament (third shortest book in the Bible). Short in length but huge in it’s message.
Date: Shortly after the Babylonian conquest of Judah in 586 bc (v. 11). Author: 13 different Obadiah’s in the O.T. (common name).
Obadiah (1:1) = “Obad” (servant) “I” “ah” (Lord”) “servant of the Lord,” or “serving the Lord.” O.T. parents liked to give their children names that made reference to “the Lord” (Daniel; Ezekiel; Michael; Israel, Jeremiah; Zechariah; Isaiah; Nehemiah, Hezekiah, etc.)
Obadiah was a contemporary prophet of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Some of Jeremiah 49:7-20 reads similar to the first part of Obadiah.
Subject (1:1): God’s prophecy of the doom of Edom (also called Seir) for their participation with Babylon in attack upon Judah. Edom was complicit with Babylon’s attack upon their “brethren” (Judah).
Purpose (v. 15). To illustrate the law of recompense—What goes around, comes around.
Key Words: pride, brother (vs. 10, 12). Key Phrase: “…the kingdom shall be the LORD’S” (v. 21).
Key Verses: vs. 3-4, 15
Map of Edom: Edom was the region that is present day Jordan. (SEE PDF)
Historical background: The Edomites were descendants of Esau (Gen. 25:30), the twin brother of Jacob. Animosity existed between Jacob and Esau their entire lives. The rivalry continued between the two nations that came from them—Esau/Edom versus Jacob/Israel.
1. Struggling before birth (Gen. 25:22- 26). Esau means “red/hairy.”
- Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew (Gen. 25:29-34).
- Jacob conned his father into giving him the blessing (Gen. 27).
- Esau vowed vengeance and became Edom (Gen. 27:41; 36:1, 8). OneEsau became over 250,000 “Esaus,” and that is Edom.
- God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Gen. 35:10).
- After 400 years in Egypt, the children of Israel came out of Egypt and headed for Canaan, the promised land. When they came to Edom, the Edomites refused to let them pass through their land (Num. 20:14-21).
- God forbid Israel to attack the Edomites because they were brethren (Dt. 23:7).
- There were frequent conflicts between Edom and Judah over the next 850 years (1 Sam 14:47; 2 Sam 8:13-14; 1 Kings 11:15; 2 Kings 8:20- 22; 24:7).
- The bitter rivalry culminated with Edom’s participation with Babylon in the destruction of Jerusalem.The prophecy of Obadiah deals with how this family feud between Esau/Edom and Jacob/Israel would finally end with Edom’s destruction.
I. The PROPHECY of Edom’s destruction (vs. 1-16 Cf. Jer. 49:7-20).
A. The REPORT of it. (vs.1-9).
v. 1—God spoke to Obadiah by a vision (Heb. 1:1). The word “rumour” is a report, whether it be true or false. In this case, the “rumour” was from God, therefore true. God sent his “ambassador” with a call to battle against Edom.
•v. 2— “I have made thee small…” God cut them down to size. Edom was a small nation (population wise) and never defeated any nation. All they could do is gloat and revel in the misfortunes of others, like they did when their brethren Israel suffered at the hands of Babylon (Ezek. 35:11).
God despised Edom. Why? Because Esau despised the birthright (Gen 25:34 cf. Heb. 12:16-17). The word “despise” means to esteem as worthless or with contempt.
BIRTHRIGHT: The birthright was very valuable.
- The man who had the birthright possessed the covenant with God. Would be in the linage of the coming Messiah.
- Priest / head of the family. He represented the family before God. He had a relationship with God.
- Double portion of the inheritance.
- Entitlement to the Abrahamic blessing.
But these blessings were future. Esau did not want to wait.
He wanted his carnal appetite to be satisfied NOW. Esau’s god was his BELLY! By selling his birthright, Esau was saying, “I would rather have a bowl of stew than have a relationship with God.”
- Esau preferred the satisfying the flesh over the spirit. Jacob prioritized the spiritual over the flesh.
- Esau took the SHORT look (Heb. 12:15-16). Jacob took the LONG look (He saw things the way God sees them).
- Esau chose the temporal over the eternal. Jacob chose the eternal over the temporal.
- Esau sacrificed the permanent (his birthright) on the altar of the immediate (physical hunger).
- Their deceptive pride (v.3). Pride leads one to think he is greater than he is. Pride, in it’s essence, is living independently of God. This is how Esau lived. [NOTE: There is no record of any deity that the Edomites worshipped.]
- This is why God hated Esau (cf. Mal. 1:2-3; Rom. 9:13)— God hates pride (Prov. 6:16-19)
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See their “self-exaltation” (v. 4). This was the original sin of Satan (Isa. 14:13-14 cf. Luke 14:11–“For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased…”).
2. Their defensible position (v. 3a). They believed their mountain fortresses impregnable to enemy attack. The narrow canyon leading into Petra insulated them from invasion.
3. Their defiance (v. 3b)
Partial outline- FULL PDF HERE
